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How Chick-Fil-A's Social-Media Bungle Fueled a Gay-Rights Backlash

It’s no secret that fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A donates to anti-gay Christian charities — the chain has been getting flak from gay-rights groups for a while now on that. But this week, the company flunked crisis PR 101 and spawned a social-media firestorm with its inept handling of the issue. If there was a gay person — or supporter — left in the U.S.A. with a Facebook account who didn’t know about the boycott of Chick-Fil-A, there isn’t now.

The flames were re-ignited Tuesday when company president Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press he is “guilty as charged” of donating to anti-gay charities. Then the company tried to fix the problem with an announcement on Chick-Fil-A’s Facebook page that sent the whole controversy massively viral. Here’s the exact verbiage:

“The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.

“Chick-fil-A is a family-owned and family-led company serving the communities in which it operates. From the day Truett Cathy started the company, he began applying biblically-based principles to managing his business. For example, we believe that closing on Sundays, operating debt-free and devoting a percentage of our profits back to our communities are what make us a stronger company and Chick-fil-A family.

“Our mission is simple: to serve great food, provide genuine hospitality and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”

Translation: “We’d like to close our eyes now, count to ten, and you should forget all about our fervently avowed political views — which we won’t be changing — and go back to eating our chicken a lot.”

Which didn’t work.

This non-response didn’t answer the questions on many people’s minds: Will the company stop donating to groups that are actively opposing gay-marriage laws, and controversial “gay-curing” groups such as Exodus International? Also, how are gay employees treated at the company given the corporate culture?

By essentially refusing to address the issues its founder raised, Chick-Fil-A just made a lot of people madder.

Also. by issuing its statement only on its Facebook page — no official company press release was issued — Chick-Fil-A attempted to hide the controversy in a corner instead of facing it square-on. Unfortunately, the social-media corner is exactly the wrong corner for trying to hide something like this.

Now, you can check the Twitter hashtag #ChickFilGay for copycat chicken recipes so you can make the company’s sandwiches at home and avoid patronizing the chain. There’s also news of boycott parties being organized, along with an endless stream of remarks such as Emily Testerman’s @little__ghost: “farewell forever #chickfila, yer waffle fries and lil’ nugs can’t mask the bitter taste of your intolerance.”

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As of TODAY I will seek out Chik Filet stores to eat and spend my money at. I agree with them twice, once on their stance, and secondly on their having the right to say so. Additionally I applaud their courage! So militant crowd, shove it!

I support Chick-Fil-A and eat there often. I will double my visits now that CFA has again reinforced its Christian values. I chose CFA years ago as my go-to restaurant because of their Christian values, especially closing on Sundays. Hooray for CFA for standing up against the increasing pressure from the real intolerants – those that chose to persecute anyone that doesn’t agee with them.

How is choosing to not financially support them by eating at their restaurant “persecuting” them? There are a lot more “persecuting” Christian groups like those who boycott JC Penney, Starbucks, Home Depot and other companies.

Then you turn around and accuse the gay boycotts as “double-standard”.

btw, Christian values do not mean trying to force non-believers to comply. It means living YOUR life according to the teachings of Christ, with the goal of WINNING OVER sinners to follow the wonderful Person you worship and admire. You really need to ask yourself if what you say and do (including this post) is drawing people to admire the one you follow, or pushing them away.

You cry “intolerance” and “bigotry” at the same time ignoring the values held firmly in the religious beliefs of the leadership at Chick-fil-a. And you paint all Christians as right wing. You can disagree, that is your right; no, it is your duty. But to disrespect their firmly held beliefs is in fact your bigotry, your intolerance of their religious values that is ignorant, shameful, and deplorable. Perhaps you will galvanize the people who already believe as you do, and don’t think beyond their own self-serving needs, but you will not win converts…or respect.

Won’t stop me from patronizing them in the slightest; the more militant homosexuals try to force their beliefs onto me, the more I will resist. Americans do not like to be told how they “must” think or feel.

: And Annette L. Ravinsky-Fleeger… The MORE you resist these “Militant” homosexuals… The MORE we will continue to SLAM and RESIST Hypocritical, Bigoted, Egotistical Idiots like you and your ILK!… We are NOT going AWAY!… Capiche?…